<p><strong>Lille president Michel Seydoux has showered praise on the club’s latest acquisition and feels that the addition of the Cote d'Ivoire international will help the Ligue 1 outfit achieve its targets</strong></p>
<p>The 26-year-old was snapped up by Les Dogues after the expiration of his contract with Chelsea and the French club is hoping that the former Chelsea player can help fill the void created by the departure of Eden Hazard.</p>
<p>Lille president Michel Seydoux, has expressed his delight over the capture of the Ivorian and feels that the addition of players like Kalou and Marvin Martin will add to club’s rapidly growing status in France and abroad.</p>
<p>While talking to reporters, Seydoux claimed that Lille are an ambitious club and club’s plans for the future are the main reason players want to move to LOSC.</p>
<p>“Since we won the title, and maybe even before that, this club took things to the next level. Our style of football and our plans for the future are attractive things and without them I don't think players like Salomon Kalou and Marvin Martin would have
been interested," Seydoux told reporters.</p>
<p>On a question of replacing Eden Hazard, who was sold to Chelsea in a 40 million Euros deal, Michel Seydoux stated that the Ligue 1 outfit has found the perfect replacement for the Belgium international in form of Salomon Kalou and Marvin Martin.</p>
<p>Marvin Martin, who performed brilliantly in Ligue 1 last season, was signed by Lille from Sochaux last week.</p>
<p>"I said I would try to recruit two quality players to replace Eden, and with Marvin and Salomon, we've got them," he added.</p>
<p>Salomon Kalou, who won the Champions League with Chelsea last season, is excited to be playing in France and feels that his style of play will help him adjust quickly in the Ligue 1. The club president is expecting great things from the former Feyenoord
player who was on Lille’s radar for quite some time.</p>
<p>"Salomon is the kind of player that [coach] Rudi Garcia loves, and I think he can really shine here at Lille."</p>
<p>LOSC Lille will kick-start their 2012/2013 Ligue 1 campaign on August 11 when they face AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.</p>
Tags: